Derelicts can be viewed as special containers that can hold some form of loot. They cannot attack or defend themselves, have no shields etc.
Derelicts can be destroyed or salvaged (special equipment) to gain loot contained within.

Let's use one of the derelicts as an example, Spg2\Models\Derelicts\Bishop\wreck.der.
Derelict files (*.der) can be edited with the Notepad++.